New Shelters Provide Added Safety for Snowmobilers

By
KBJR News 1

February 22, 2013Updated Feb 22, 2013 at 9:00 PM CDT

International Falls, MN (NNCNOW.com) - Snowmobiling is a popular winter pastime, but cold temperatures and brutal wind chills can turn winter fun into danger. Officials at Voyageurs National Park are hoping to limit that danger with help from some new snowmobile shelters.

The park's 110 mile snowmobile trail attracts many people each season.

Maintenance Supervisor Bill Johnson hopes those people are safer because of the new snowmobile shelters.

"These will be our first shelters to offer the folks when they come in," said Johnson.

The three snowmobile shelters are located at various points on the trail, hoping to provide snowmobilers with relief from the sometimes brutal wind.

"It's somewhere you could go where there could be a safer place to be given the circumstances," said Johnson.

The shelters have three sides and while they're not heated, on a cold day, just stepping out of the wind can make a big difference.

"It could be the difference between possibly frost bite," Johnson said.

The shelters were funded by a donation from snowmobile manufacturer, Polaris. They paired with the Voyageurs National Park Association to promote snowmobile safety. Park Maintenance staff took care of the construction.

"It's just a real comfort, I think, for the snowmobilers," said Johnson.

Polaris also donated two snowmobiles to the Park, which they use for trail grooming.